iOS6 - Terrible Maps - When is Google Maps coming back

I did but it is not the same as the google maps they had on previous iOS. I hate this new one and wish I had never upgraded!!

Bing Maps offers a very good maps service with Bird's Eye, a feature similar to Flyover. It's arguably better than Google Maps.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bing/id345323231?mt=8

You can use Google Maps by creating a shortcut to the Home Screen with help from the article below.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/20/how-to-get-google-maps-on-ios-6

MapQuest also has a very nice app available.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mapquest/id316126557?mt=8

Nokia Maps is another great service that you can add to your Home Screen via a web shortcut.

http://m.maps.nokia.com

Here's an article detailing how to receive Public Transport directions.

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/09/transit-apps-ios6-woes/?pid=3798&pageid=1 17235&viewall=true

If you would like to send a suggestion to Apple, please go to http://www.apple.com/feedback or you can Report a Problem via the Maps app by tapping the bottom right.

Apple Maps is not perfect, but some seem to forget that Google has its flaws as well. Several times Google has taken me far out of the way to the wrong place.

A couple of my contacts that Google couldn't correctly place were right using Apple Maps. But, there are others that Apple has wrong.

Apple Maps is not perfect but it is a work in process - as is Google.

Work in progress with a few buggy locations I could live with. But to go from a satellite view where individual houses are visible to different splodges of green is totally unacceptable.

Maps is a killer app for me, street view in particular, so for apple to release this rubbish undermines all their good work.

Apple need to act quickly and decisively to address this issue before it causes them irreparable damage.

Nodge22,

You should have no problem selling your "rubbish" iPhone 5 to one of the thousands of people standing in line or waiting for UPS to arrive in two weeks.

But google maps in the browser does not seem to work with streetview? I downlaoed ios 6 yesterday and the google maps and could not find streetview.

I have now downgraded back to ios 5.1.1 and it's all back with me.

It's just not worth the upgrade unledd you have a 4s.

Rubbish iOS. Who's talking about iPhone 5?

G3gator,

Thanks for the advice, unfortunately I don't have a shiny new iPhone5 - my frustration has been caused by the upgrade to iOS6 on an iPad. And don't get me wrong, I'm not an Apple-basher - the iPad is a great piece of kit.

But this application is very, very, very poor for the majority of users I suspect - I can only surmise that a bunch of major US city dwelling developers and product managers decided this was a good idea, somehow forgetting there's a whole wide world out there.

I accept that the first iteration of any software can be somewhat lacking, but I feel this is far from fit for general consumption.

Nodge, I am certain that "a bunch of major US city dwelling developers" did not forget that "there's a whole wide world out there."

I don't know what percentage of iPhones are sold outside the U.S., but I suspect it is considerable. There is no xenophobic conspiracy here. There are the problems of introducting a complex new product to a world market of millions of users.

I am also confident that Apple will work the bugs out.

I agree, the maps have the wrong names for towns in Turkey (Izmir is missing, but they use the old Greek name - huge insult to the Turks), missing names and no street view for the UK. Please can I have proper Google Maps back. Overall Apple maps are a huge backward step. I was thinking of buying a iphone 5 but will not now. I have updated to ios 6 (but downgraded it imho) my iPad 2, but wish I hadn't and will not update my iPhone 4s until the maps issue is sorted out. Most likely when Apple finally allow Google to produce a Google Map App. In the meantime Google and the Andriod community must realise that Apple have made a huge mistake. Having bought my first Apple products last year I am now wondering if I have backed the wrong horse, perhaps I should have gone for Andriod, if Apple make this sort of mistake. I was looking forward to IOS 6, but it is a step backwards and a downgrade in service.

Certainly no xenophobic conspiracy, but I wonder whether it was arrogance or stupidity that has led to this debacle from a company with such a great track record.

I’m sure Apple will address the issues with their app in time (unlike the GPS issues with my Galaxy that render Google maps useless for directions), but it is right that we as consumers provide that feedback – good or bad.

Nodge, I agree that feedback is useful and needed.

If someone depends on one single feature such as Streetview for their livelihood, then the iP5 and iOS6 is not for them (well, until a Google app is available). But, most people, I think, evaluate the whole package - hardware and software. Apple is the most valuable company on the planet for good reasons.

Okay, I'm sure Steve is turning in his grave. Everything he tried to do since the first Mac was make things work. The reason only ATT had the iPhone at first was they were the only ones to agree to implement everything he wanted. The transitions (for those of you too young) from Motorla to PPC to Intel was incredible engineering and planning. Now on to Maps...

Upgraded my iPhone 4, and guess what, now maps says it can't find me directions from Denver, CO to San Diego CA. Really? and it can't find directions from Denver to Albq, NM, really? It can't even give me directions from Denver to Ft. Collins CO. Which is just a straight line up Interstate 25. And it can't find directions from Los Angles to San Diego. Was this thing actually tested?

I really hope they are rebooting the thing right now or something. This is an EPIC FAIL.

Leo

I think those who have replied in defense of Apple here are missing the point. Iphone is a best-in-class device. It was until now bundled with a best-in-class mapping and location visualisation application, with best-in-class data behind it. The combination was best-in-class, and millions of people's lives have adapted to use and even depend upon it.

Unless Apple were under some pressure we don't know about, deciding to replace that app with something that fronts a vastly inferior data set containing many factual errors, rendering it manisfetly less fit for purpose than its predecessor is indeed extraordinary.

Nobody in their right mind can believe this is in the short term interests of the user base, and frankly I think it will be at least a matter of years before the usability gap between the new IOS6 maps app and its predecessor closes sufficiently.

I'm trying hard to believe Apple have worked out that the ultimate benefit of this slap in the face to its users is worth the risk. But I can't really. Just a crazy decision I fear.

Strangely, the new Apple Maps app isn't too bad down here in lil'old Christchurch New Zealand and on balance I'm pleased with the upgrade to iOS6. It's not as good as Google Maps, but far better than the blurry images I see of my old home village in rural south east England and other places around the globe. Odd considering Apple normally ignores New Zealand as a small low yielding economy for them (e.g. no real Apple stores and no books in iTunes other than ancient out-of-copyright classics) but the UK is one of their top markets. Makes you wonder how they chose their priorities on this. Have to agree it's an absolute ****-up for them and it will be interesting to see how Tim Cook manages the fall-out and whose head will publically roll at senior VP level for letting this happen to the Apple brand. They need to act very quickly and effectively ..... or I reckon history will show this to be the defining turning point in Apple's stellar fortunes of the last five years or so.